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Burglary victims pen poem about ordeal as man sentenced to four years in prison

Detectives working on Operation Castle, the force’s response to burglary offences, are welcoming the sentencing of a man to four years in prison after family jewellery was stolen from the address of an elderly couple in Bootle in March.

35-year-old Anthony Ready from Worcester Road, Bootle was sentenced to four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday 16 May.

On Monday, 12 March, jewellery and a laptop were stolen from an address in Southport Road, Bootle after entry was forced. The occupants were not in the house but left very distressed as personal items including lockets with family photos were stolen.

Enquiries identified a man suspected to be 35-year-old Anthony Ready from Worcester Road, Bootle. A warrant was carried out at his home address on Tuesday 17 April and he was arrested.

Ready was charged with burglary dwelling and theft and was remanded in custody.

The victims, a couple in their 70s, have issued a poem which was read out at court and reads as follows:

“I’m writing as a mother,
A wife and grandma too,
These few words I want to say,
To him, who stands on trial today

“I want you to know what you’ve taken,
Can never be replaced,
They all were bought with love and care,
You stole them in your haste

“We too once had a lovely son,
Who bought some gifts for me,
I wanted to leave them to our grandchildren,
So they could always see

“The pictures of our lovely lad,
In lockets that I wear,
That meant a lot to me, his mother, his sister and his dad

“You will not take away my thoughts,
That most people that I know,
Are kind and good and decent,
But you, you are my foe

“So on this day of judgement,
I hope you’ll think again,
That you’ll never ever enter a home,
And cause a lot of pain

“I bet you’ve broke your mother’s heart,
This makes me very sad,
So please make a decision,
And change your way, young lad.”

Detective Sergeant John Fitzgerald from Operation Castle said: “We are glad to see that a callous and opportunistic offender as Anthony Ready has been removed from the streets for the foreseeable future and hope his sentence goes some way to helping his victims move on from their upsetting ordeal.

“To steal such obviously personal and sentimental items is nothing short of disgusting and we will be relentless in finding those who invade people’s homes and steal from them.

“Their poem paints a vivid picture of the upset and impact burglary has on members of our communities, and it is heartening to see that they have been able to put their feelings down in such a moving and impactive way.

“We remain committed to tackling burglary across the force so if you have any information about offences, are aware of any suspected stolen goods being offered around or stored, please come forward and we will take positive action.”